The adrenal glands are small glands that have important functions in a ferret’s body. Located near the kidneys, the adrenal glands produce and secrete various substances, including sex hormones (estrogen, testosterone, progesterone) and cortisol (‘stress hormone’), that control different functions in a ferret’s body. When the adrenal glands are diseased, they can release excessive amounts of sex hormones that make ferrets sick.[1] Recognizing the signs of adrenal disease and getting a veterinary diagnosis will help your ferret receive the treatment it needs to get better.

Steps

Part 1

Observing Physical Symptoms

1

Notice hair loss on your ferret. Hair loss occurs in over 80% of ferrets with adrenal disease, making it the most common symptom of this condition. This hair loss might come and go, but always progresses to near-complete baldness.[2] The hair loss, which is symmetrical, begins at the tip of a ferret’s tail and works its way forward to the head.[3]

‘Symmetrical’ means that the hair loss is the same on both sides of a ferret’s body.[4]

2

Examine your female ferret’s vulva and nipples. The vulva is the external opening of a female’s reproductive tract. With adrenal disease, increased estrogen release from the adrenal glands causes the vulva to swell, as if the female is in heat (ready to mate).[5] The female’s nipples may also enlarge.[6]

An intact female ferret that is not bred when in heat will have a swollen vulva. However, since all female ferrets in the United States are spayed (removal of internal reproductive organs), the most likely reason for a swollen vulva is adrenal disease.[7]

3

Smell your male ferret. Male ferrets with adrenal disease can develop a musky odor, which can worsen over time.[8] This may be due to increased testosterone release from the adrenal glands.

Healthy male ferrets smell musky when they are ready to mate with a female ferret.

4

Touch your ferret’s skin. Adrenal disease can cause make a ferret’s skin become thin and wrinkled.[9] The skin may also become very dry.[10] If your ferret’s skin is dry, you will probably see dandruff (white flakes of skin).

5

Take note of your ferret’s body condition. A ferret with adrenal disease may experience a loss in muscle tone, called atrophy, which may be severe.[11] It usually occurs on a ferret’s thighs and rear end.[12] If your ferret has muscle atrophy, its body will look smaller in the areas of muscle loss.

Adrenal disease can also cause a loss of appetite, so your ferret may lose weight and look smaller overall.[13]

Part 2

Noticing Behavioral Changes

1

Detect aggression in your male ferret. Adrenal disease often causes behavioral changes in ferrets because of increased sex hormone levels. An increased release of adrenal testosterone causes aggression in male ferrets. They will display this aggression towards their cage mates or people. Interestingly, the aggression may be the only adrenal disease symptom you notice in your ferret.[14]

Aggression is usually associated with mating behavior in male ferrets. However, since most male pet ferrets are neutered, the aggression is likely due to adrenal disease.

If a neutered male ferret becomes aggressive, the adrenal disease may be a malignant (harmful) tumor.[15]

2

Observe difficulty urinating in your male ferret. In male ferrets, adrenal disease can cause the prostate gland, which is a reproductive organ, to enlarge. This enlargement may be due to a prostatic cyst (fluid-filled sac), abscess (pocket of infection), or inflammation. Because the prostate is located near the bladder, an enlarged prostate can block the flow of urine and make it difficult for a ferret to urinate.[16] If your male ferret has difficulty urinating, it may have an enlarged prostate due to adrenal disease.

Difficulty urinating is called stranguria. This condition is a medical emergency, because an inability to urinate can damage the kidneys and rupture the bladder.[17]

If your male ferret cannot urinate, take it to your vet right away for emergency treatment.

3

Take note of increased itching. Adrenal disease occasionally causes itchiness in ferrets. This itchiness may occur with hair loss. Sometimes, though, a ferret with adrenal disease can be itchy without any hair loss.[18]

About one-third of ferrets with adrenal disease experience itchiness.[20]

4

Detect a loss of energy. Healthy ferrets are playful and curious.[21] Ferrets with adrenal disease, though, are less playful because they don’t have much energy.[22] This loss of energy may be due to muscle loss, which would make a ferret feel weak.

5

Determine whether your ferret is eating less. Adrenal disease may cause your ferret to eat less.[23] To determine if your ferret is eating less, measure how much food you give your ferret. When your ferret has finished eating, measure the amount of food that is left over.

Part 3

Getting a Veterinary Diagnosis

1

Have your vet physically examine your ferret. Adrenal disease in ferrets requires a veterinary diagnosis. When you take your ferret to your vet, they will first physically examine your ferret. If the adrenal glands are extremely enlarged, your vet may be able to feel them when they touch your ferret’s belly.[24] However, because ferret adrenal glands are so small, your vet may not be able to feel them on a physical exam.[25]

In addition to touching your ferret’s abdomen, your vet will look over your ferret’s entire body and listen to its heart and lungs.

As your vet performs the physical exam, they will ask you questions about your ferret, such as what symptoms you noticed and when they first appeared.

2

Agree to a sex hormone blood test. Measuring the levels of sex hormones in your ferret’s blood will confirm a diagnosis of adrenal disease. This blood test is performed at the University of Tennessee Veterinary Medical Center.[26] Your vet will take a blood sample from your ferret and send it to the University of Tennessee.

The test will measure the levels of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone in the blood.

It will take several weeks for your vet to receive the test results. Because a ferret’s sex hormone levels can vary throughout the year, your vet will consider the current season of the year when analyzing the results.[27]

While waiting for the test results, your vet may want to perform other diagnostic tests, like ultrasound, that can help diagnose adrenal disease.

3

Allow your vet to perform an abdominal ultrasound. An ultrasound is an imaging technique. An abdominal ultrasound can identify enlarged adrenal glands.[28] If your vet sees the adrenal glands on the ultrasound, they will measure them to see how enlarged they are.[29]

Ferret adrenal glands can be hard to see on an ultrasound because they are tiny.

Your vet may want to use ultrasound to monitor the enlarged adrenal gland for several months.[30] However, if your ferret is really sick, it should receive treatment right away.

4

Discuss the need for x-rays with your vet. X-rays are usually not very helpful with diagnosing adrenal disease in ferrets. This is because adrenal gland masses in ferrets do not calcify, meaning they do not develop calcium deposits.[31] These calcium deposits are white and would be visible on an x-ray.

X-rays can help rule out other diseases that could be causing your ferret’s symptoms.[32] For this reason, your vet may want to take some x-rays.

Since x-rays will not diagnose your ferret’s adrenal disease, talk with your vet about whether your ferret should have x-rays taken.